So Where Would You Go?

With the removal of holiday lights, you quickly find how cold, wet, and gray the days are this time of year.

We usually joke about the idea of moving someplace else during this time of year, but bemoan the idea of actually moving.

So what if? What if we had a winter home? Where would we go? Where could we go?

I’ll be honest and say that I have no background in real estate (other than my experience buying my own homes). So it tweaked my curiosity when I saw that there was a Winter Vacation Report available.

The report was released by Vacasa (the largest vacation rental property manager in North America – according to their site), and to be honest it challenged what I thought about winter homes and rental capability.

According to the report, “Winter month occupancy in winter vacation destinations are up almost 25% year over year since 2016. That means that winter vacation destinations are a real trend.”

So where does one go for a winter vacation? According to Vacasa here are the top 10 winter markets for vacations:

Okemo/Ludlow, Vt.

Mount Hood, Ore.

Leavenworth, Wash.

Park City, Utah

Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Big Bear Lake, Calif.

Pagosa Springs, Colo.

Flagstaff, Ariz.

Stowe, Vt.

North Lake Tahoe, Calif.

In looking at the list, I realized that maybe I was thinking of winter homes, especially potential rental properties, incorrectly. Most of the locations are close to skiing resorts or opportunities. I was surprised initially to see two properties in Vermont on the list, but now it makes sense.

Vacasa’s Winter Vacation Report claims to identify the markets with the highest average occupancy increases in the winter months and chose the ones with the best one-year return on investment based on their data analysis.

So whether you are looking to hit the slopes yourself or perhaps invest in a property that allows others to enjoy such winter activities, check out the Vacasa site to check the information out for yourself.

Personally? I’ve never been to Colorado and would love to visit. I’m not much of a skier, but I am sure there is more to do. Oregon would also be towards the top of my list of places I’ve never been. Having said that, Vermont is beautiful and I’ve never seen it in the wintertime.

Where would you go? How many of the locations have you been to and what attractions did you see?